of

Prime Minister of India
Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee

Address to the Nation on
March 22nd, 1998

"My Government will strive hard to make India a global Information Technology power – specifically, make India one of the largest generators and exporters of software in the world – within ten years;"

Address on
May 25th, 1998
at
The presentation ceremony of the 1997
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes

"We need to make the use of Information Technology a national campaign. My Government has set up a Task Force that will prepare the draft of a comprehensive National Informatics Policy. It will also recommend an appropriate institutional mechanism to implement it as a national mission.

This is an area where India can attain global dominance in a short time. Besides, thousands of new appplications are possible in this area which will generate high-quality jobs and improve the quality of life for the masses. I would, therefore, urge the scientific community to take up Information Technology-based research as a challenge. You should help create products and services that will serve as a productivity-multiplier within India and also command high value in the world market."

Address at the
National Conference & Annual Session
on
Bringing Growth Back :
Economy, Education & Employment
28th April 1998

"Towards this end, the Prime Minister’s Office will directly monitor all projects capitalized at more than Rs. One hundred crores each in the areas of power, roads and bridges, dams and irrigation, telecommunication, oil and energy, railways, ports and airports.

Information technology is an area of special importance. It has already revolutionised the world. No country can hope to develop global competitivencess if it ignores information technology.

This is one area where India can quickly establish global dominance. India can be fully competitive in this area with tremendous pay-offs in terms of income generation and creation of high quality jobs.

This area also provides an alternative, attainable opportunity to Indian business and industry to become software czars. Just three Indian companies, not exactly household names, have today a market capitalisation of Rupees Thirteen thousand crores. And all are also aggressively exporting.

In this connection, I invite specific suggestions from trade and industry for removing any bottlenecks in the way of faster growth of the InfoTech industry.

In the National Agenda, we have pledged to make India a software superpower. Within the next 30 days, we will set up a National Information Technology Tast Force , which will formulate a draft National Informatics Policy."